Qantas chief derides slow progress on second Sydney airport

By Victoria
November 12, 2012 12:06

Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas, has criticised the slow progress on building a second airport in Sydney, specifically in comparison to China.
“As part of its revised five-year plan, China is now in the process of building 82 new airports. That’s a new airport every 23 days,” Joyce said. “We may be very different economies, but the comparison with Australia is stark.”
Australia has been debating a second airport for decades, Joyce said. Qantas would like to maximise the use of Kingsford Smith at Mascot, although this is currently restricted by caps on aircraft movements and old noise sharing arrangements.
“A serious discussion needs to take place about whether the perceived benefits of the system outweigh its inefficiencies,” Joyce said. “The current arrangement has developed without regard for the considerable reductions in noise achieved by new aircraft.
“Unfortunately, it rules out the use of aircraft navigation technologies that could reduce congestion, avoid diversions and bring down carbon emissions.”